Porous Ti3C2Tx for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a promising method for sustainable hydrogen production, yet the development of efficient, non-precious metal catalysts remains a challenge. MXenes, a class of two-dimensional transition metal carbides/nitrides, exhibit great potential due to their tunable composition and surface functional groups. However, their performance is often limited by nanosheet restacking and insufficient active edge sites.

In this study, we synthesized porous Ti₃C₂Tₓ through a two-step oxidation and etching strategy, creating abundant in-plane pores. These pores not only expose more active edge sites but also enhance mass transfer and accessibility of active sites. Compared to conventional Ti₃C₂Tₓ, the porous variant shows remarkable improvements: a 65.6% higher electrochemical surface area (440 mF/cm²), a 95.2% lower charge transfer resistance (12.8 Ω), and a 69.8% lower Tafel slope (144 mV/dec). These enhancements result in lower overpotentials and excellent stability at 10 mA/cm² current density. Additionally, leveraging the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of Ti₃C₂Tₓ, the HER performance is further amplified under 808 nm near-infrared laser irradiation, achieving a current density of 80 mA/cm² at 700 mV overpotential.

This work provides a groundbreaking approach to optimizing MXene-based electrocatalysts for HER, combining structural engineering with external physical field modulation. The study, entitled “Porous Ti₃C₂Tₓ for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction”, was published in the Journal of Donghua University (English Edition) (published on Feb. 28, 2025).